International Trade committee  I can say we're in constant discussion with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. They actually seek feedback because they want to continuously improve their service, and as you mentioned, they have opened some new offices abroad. One thing we're certainly very happy about is that they've also opened new offices in different regions in Canada.

International Trade committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Bon matin, tout le monde. As the chair indicated, my name is Jean-Michel Laurin. I am with the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters Association. I thought I would just give you a little bit of background today in terms of the business context that manufacturers are facing these days, but also some of the business opportunities we see out there and in which this proposed free trade agreement fits.

International Trade committee  I would just like to refer to the first part of your question to Mr. Wright. You said you have so many good cases of companies going into Colombia--and you've seen some of those first-hand--doing the right thing and helping the country develop itself both economically and socially.

International Trade committee  I agree with Mr. Wright. Colombia seems to be doing the right things, from an economic standpoint, and trying to improve the situation in their country for their people. When you asked that question, or one of your colleagues from the opposition party asked that question...I understand the woman when she said it was totally a good thing for her and for her country, and she saw the trade agreement negotiations very positively.

International Trade committee  I will answer your question with regard to those sectors that would most benefit from a free trade agreement and the ones that would have the most to lose. The manufacturing sector exports a whole variety of products. It mainly exports auto parts and various related goods, the majority of which are produced in Ontario.

International Trade committee  Thank you, Mr. Bains, for the question. Whether we have those other elements included in the trade agreement is something personal that has to be negotiated with our partners. I think our interest is partnering with them to develop their own economy. That being said, we want to make sure we frame the agreement in a way that Canadians are comfortable with our going forward.

International Trade committee  Exactly. I think there are cases such as the ones you've heard about today, and I'm sure when you met with Nexen and Enbridge in Colombia.... I think we have expertise and we have resources to contribute to developing the Colombian economy, whether it's by building infrastructure, helping them build transportation infrastructure, or getting access to energy.

International Trade committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good afternoon. If you do not have any objections, I will be expressing myself mostly in French today. My name is Jean-Michel Laurin. I am here representing the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, Canada's largest trade and industry association, with members from all of the sub-sectors involved in manufacturing throughout the country.

International Trade committee  I'd say the impact would be that for those Canadian companies currently exporting products into the Korean market, which are facing a tariff—I understand it's mostly the food products and forest products sectors—there's a chance they might be priced out of the market. I mean, most of the competitors are based in the U.S.

International Trade committee  Mr. Chairman, I would just like to answer the question quickly. First of all, two-thirds of Canada's exports are manufactured goods. So we are already adding a lot of value to the natural resources. The natural resources sector does nevertheless play an important role. Many of the manufacturing industries are in fact located here, in Canada, because of our access to these natural resources.

International Trade committee  Exactly, for market access, because I think everyone says it, that reducing tariff barriers is really the big issue. And to come back to your initial question on whether we have had a chance to look at the economic impact assessment, we have. In terms of the impact on Canada, again, we didn't do our own study.

International Trade committee  If I may, I would like to add something. We need to view the trade balance of Canada or of Quebec in its entirety. Overall, we want to export more than we import. In Canada especially, since we have a small economy, we need to trade with the rest of the world in order to maintain our standard of living.

International Trade committee  I can't tell, but I suspect it's not only for Canadian companies.

International Trade committee  Just to go on the record, we have been consulted, early on and throughout. I think communication with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade has not been a problem on this issue. I think, in terms of some of the non-tariff barriers, it's a long list so I didn't want to--

International Trade committee  I'm very happy to share the list with members of the committee. In terms of some of the issues you're facing, some of them are import clearance procedures, for example, where some food producers have said they're encountering four to five times longer delays dealing with Korea than they are with other comparable Asian countries.